Device for wetting gummed papers



' (Neil 0:161.) .J.1 B SWORD.

DEVICE FOR WETTING GUMMED PAPERS.- V

- Patented'li'eh 13.1883.-

INVENTOR:

' N, PETERS. Pnmuahn mr. Washinghan. 0.0.

UNrrEio STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES B. SWORD, .OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

, DEVICE FOR WETTING GUMMED PAPERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 272,350, dated February 13, 1833.

' Application filed September 22, 1882. (No model.)

' a perspective view of the en velope-wetter; Fig.

.2, a plan VlBWe; Fig. 3,a vertical section on the line 1 2; Fig. 4,a perspective view drawn to an enlarged scale to illustrate part of my invention; Fig. 5, aperspectiveviewof a modi- 'fication, and Fig. 6 a plan view of another modification. In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, B is a shallow tray,

7 preferably of the form shown, this tray being properly lined to retain a supply of water. To the tray at the point w are pivoted two narrow boxes, A A", packed with absorbent material, to which the water in the tray can gain access through openings at or near the bottom of the boxes. These boxes are adjusted to any angle which the shape of the gummed flap of the envelope may suggest, and they may be retained in the position to which they have been adjusted by any suitable devices, each box having, in the present instance near its outer end, a pin, which will fit into any one of the seg: mentally-arranged recesses d in the bottom of the tray. It is not essential, however, that both boxes should be adjustable, for if the tray be made large enough, one adjustable box may be moved to any position in respect to the other box, which diherently-shaped envelope-flaps may require.

To wet the envelopes, all that is necessary is'to place the gummed MD of the flaps on the absorbentmateriahwhich extends to the top of the boxes.

Instead of combining with a tray boxes A A, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, two boxes, pivoted together, as shownin Fig. 5, may each be combined with and form a part of a tray, B, for receiving a supply of water, the device being simply placed on a table or desk,and the boxes moved to any position which may suit the envelope-flap.

Where a number of envelopes of the same size and shape of flaps are in constant use, the wetter may consist of one box composed of two parts permanently united together and communicating with each other, as shown in Fig. 6, the absorbent material extending from end to end of the box, and this may be placed in a tray, or a reservoirmay be combined with thebox, as in Fig. 5.

The outlines of' the box may, if desired, be

such as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6, the.

outer edge being of the same conformation as the flap of the largest envelope to be acted upon, and the inner edge conformingin shape to the flap of the smallest envelope.

Although different kinds of absorbent material may be used, I prefer to pack each box with cotton-wool G, or other equivalent floculent material, as shown in Fig. 4, and to place on this packing a strip, H, which may be made of folds of fabric, but which I prefer to make of a piece of wire-gauze or perforated plate clothed with fabric, the strip fitting within the box, but the fabric projecting slightly above the same.

The strip can be readily removed whenever it is necessary to gain access to the absorbent material in the box.

In constructing the device shown in Fig. 1, I'attach to the tray at any suitable point a cylindrical, or othershaped box, D, communicating with the tray, and pack it with absorbent material, preferring cotton-wool with a detachable piece of clothed wire-gauzeto fit to the top of the box, as described in referring to Fig. 4, so as to form a wet pad, on which may 'be'placed gummed stamps, labels, seals, &c.

I claim as my invention- I 1. The combination, for wetting envelopeflaps and other gummed papers, of an open tray or reservoir containing a supply of water, with a box filled to the top with absorbent materiahand communicating at or near the bottom with the said tray or reservoir, as set forth.

2. The combination of an open tray or reservoir, with a. box communicating therewith, to this specification in the presence of two subabsorbent material packed in the box, and a scribing witnesses.

detachable strip of wire-gauze or perforated plate clothed with absorbent fabric in con- 5 tact with the contents of the box, all substan- JAMES B. SWORD.

Witnesses:

tially as specified. HARRY DRURY,

In testimony whereofl have signed my name HARRY SMITH. 

